August Blind Spot: The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Instead of a straight review, this post is more of my reaction of the movie and the cast, so I’m going to include some observations as well as trivia from IMDb.

There’s been a lot of ‘firsts’ with some of the Blindspot movies I saw. Well, with this one, it’s a lot of ‘seconds.’ It’s the second George Cukor film I saw (the first was My Fair Lady, but I’m not counting Gone With the Wind as he was fired early on from his directing duties) and it’s also the second Cary Grant + Katharine Hepburn film I saw after Bringing Up Baby.

It is however, the first time I saw both Cary Grant AND Jimmy Stewart in a movie together and honestly, that’s the main draw for me. I was also curious because this movie was regarded as one of the best rom-coms, in fact it ranked #5 on the AFI’s list of 10 greatest films in that genre. Well, now that I’ve seen it, I think it’s an enjoyable movie but it wasn’t GREAT by any means, in fact it got a bit silly at times and Stewart seems awkward in some of the scenes and not as effortless in comedy as Grant was. That’s why I was surprised that Stewart actually won Best Actor that year, say what? Well, apparently the actor himself was shocked as well. According to IMDb, ‘Stewart never felt he deserved the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in this film, especially since he had initially felt miscast. He always maintained that Henry Fonda should have won instead for The Grapes of Wrath (1940), and that the award was probably “deferred payment for my work on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)”.’ Yep, I totally agree Stewart should’ve won for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which was another Blindspot film I saw earlier this year (read my review).

Now, for those who haven’t seen the film, the film is about a socialite, Tracy Lord (Hepburn) whose wedding plans to nouveau riche George Kittredge (John Howard) are complicated by the simultaneous arrival of her ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven (Grant) and a tabloid magazine journalist Macaulay Connor (Stewart). The movie didn’t immediately click with me, which I often find with some classic films I saw, but fortunately it got a bit more engrossing as the film progressed. One reason I didn’t click with the movie right away could be because I couldn’t quite warm up to Hepburn. Yes I know she’s one of Hollywood’s best actresses and the most decorated with 12 nominations and four wins (WOW!), but out of the three films I saw her in, I find that she’s not immediately sympathetic. I mean there are other actresses who often play strong independent women with minds of their own, but they somehow still have a certain vulnerability and even warmth about them that I don’t quite see in Hepburn.

In any case, the movie itself is enjoyable enough, but lack the emotional resonance I felt with say, The Apartment or Roman Holiday. The actors are fun to watch as they’re bantering with one another, but I feel somewhat detached from them that it was hard for me to care about any of them. So for most of the movie, I was busy admiring the gorgeous costume design, especially all Hepburn’s dressed designed by Adrian.

Hepburn had such a svelte figure that everything looked good on her, I especially love the Grecian dress she wore when she was dancing with Stewart by the pool. The transparent silk organza dress with string tie belt she wore in the finale [see above, bottom left] is my favorite as it looks ethereal and elegant, and it fits Hepburn so beautifully.

The chemistry between her and her male co-stars are ok, I think she seems most comfortable with Grant which is perhaps why they often do a film together. What I do enjoy more than the romance is the scenes of Grant and Stewart together. They seem to have a good rapport as they play off each other well. Just seeing these two biggest classic male superstars together is amusing enough, but the two have quite different styles of acting which made it even more fun to watch.

The scene where Stewart got the hiccups as he was drunk is pretty hilarious. I could tell Grant was amused and at times he looked like he was about to burst out laughing. As it turns out, the hiccup was improvised and Stewart didn’t tell Grant ahead of time, hence Grant’s natural amused reaction. LOVE it!

The supporting cast is pretty good, I thought Virginia Weidler is so darn cute as Tracy’s smart-alecky teenage sister and Ruth Hussey as the sardonic photographer who’s not-so-secretly in love with Stewart’s character.

SPOILER ALERT![I figure I might not be the only one who hasn’t seen this] Now the movie ends in happy ending of course. And the trouble with seeing tons of still photos of the wedding scene before I finally saw it, I kind of know how it’d end so there’s no surprise there. Still it was pretty sweet, I think that’s probably the only dramatic moment in the entire film as the camera pans to both Grant and Hussey’s look of dismay as Stewart’s character proposed to Hepburn’s.

Final Thoughts: The high-society type comedies are pretty amusing to me and having three major movie stars certainly didn’t hurt, but for some reason I just wasn’t wowed by it. I know I’m in the minority as seems like everyone else LOVED this movie. I wish I loved it more but hey, it is what it is. That said, I’m glad I finally saw it and I’m still curious to see more work from all three actors. This movie is apparently based on a Broadway production and I think this story might actually work better on stage. I just saw Noël Coward’s 1930s comedy of manners Private Lives starring Toby Stephens & Anna Chancellor, I’d imagine the battle of the sexes with all the witty repartee would be similar to that. So overall the movie an enjoyable farce, but not exactly a comedic masterpiece it’s made out to be.

25 thoughts on “August Blind Spot: The Philadelphia Story (1940)”

I’m going to cry. Like, I’m really going to cry. This movie is utter perfection!!!! Stewart stole Grant’s Oscar, because he really should have been nominated and won for this, but that quibble aside, this movie is just amazing! So light and frothy and full of splendid comic relief and a beautifully woven love triangle that feels fresh and delightfully focused, even by today’s standards. I’m so sad that you don’t adore this!

I believe I haven’t seen this yet. It’s on the list. Give you my opinion soon hopefully. Don’t feel bad about not totally digging this movie. Hepburn’s best chemistry was with Spencer Tracy anyway. Her and Bogey in The African Queen wasn’t too shabby either.

Well if you want to see her best see The African Queen (Bogey), Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner? (Poitier, Tracy), The Lion In Winter (O’Toole) and anything really with Tracy . She was quite the rare actress. Strong, intellectual, comedic, stylish, outspoken, independent… It would be safe to say there wasn’t anyone quite like her. Certainly not in Hollywood.

I get the strong, intellectual and outspoken part but comedic? I’m not sure. I guess I need to see more of her work but from the 3 I’ve seen (including Lion in Winter), I wouldn’t say she’s my favorite actress. It’s all subjective of course, and I can see why some adore her.

A great film; it’s not hard for me to sweep away the “periodness” of the plot and dialogue and enjoy the silliness. I do understand, though. I really love the expressions and the speed at which these stars banter back and forth.

Glad you liked it, Ruth. The hiccups scene is one of all-time favorites, as is the film. I like Stewart’s performance, but I think Grant, Hepburn and Hussey are better here. Actually, Hussey gives my favorite supporting actress performance of all time. She’s witty, but she also has some wonderful subtle moments in her performance that’ve stuck out on repeat viewings. For me, it’s a flawless, scene-stealing performance.

Like many others have mentioned, it’s good to know you enjoyed the film (Lord knows I don’t want this series to become like eating vegetables). As I read your thoughts, I wondered now and then if you might have been overthinking it a little. To consider the result, we need to consider the intent. With a film like PHILADELPHIA STORY, the intent isn’t to make a cutting statement like it is in THE GRAPES OF WRATH…it’s merely to distract, amuse and entertain.

Seems to me that you were distracted, amused, and entertained…so we could probably call the film a success, right?

I don’t mean any of this to sound like a critique of your critique (since that would be really dumb of me)…just as food for thought. In general…when we go into a film, new or old, what are we looking to come away with? What are we asking our films to do?

Hi Ryan, hmmm I don’t think I was over-thinking this. I wasn’t expecting a movie with a great message or anything, so I was looking for a fun entertainment. It is a rom-com after all. But I didn’t find this to be all that romantic nor comedic, and despite some amusing moments, in the end it didn’t make me think ‘oh wow, what a great movie!’ So on that front I didn’t give it a high score, that’s fair right? I mean there are other classic films that I found more engaging and heart-warming, i.e. The Apartment, It Happened One Night as two examples of other Blindspot films I saw this year. Going in I didn’t know if I would like a movie or not, regardless of its reputation. Ultimately I have to judge a film on its own merit and not be influenced by its ranking on AFI or what have you.

P.S. I don’t feel like I need to defend my opinion so this is just a response to your comment. Cheers! 😀

Always liked and admired Jimmy Stewart in this film. Kind of the slow talking, odd man out between Hepburn and Grant. In a well balanced film that meshes comedy, rapid patter between Hepburn and Grant. And subtle romance from Mr. Stewart.

About me

Hello I'm Ruth! Film is in my blood. LOVE movies of all genres, from Jane Austen to James Bond. Official blogger for the Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF). I've recently completed my first feature screenplay & produced my first short film HEARTS WANT. Visit facebook.com/heartswantfilm

Trivia on Blade Runner 2049

Denis Villeneuve noted that he's fully aware of the immense pressure he's under, and how hardcore fans of the original view the prospect of a new film: "I know that every single fan will walk into the theater with a baseball bat. I'm aware of that and I respect that, and it's okay with me because it's art. Art is risk, and I have to take risks. It's gonna be the biggest risk of my life but I'm okay with that. For me it's very exciting... It's just so inspiring, I'm so inspired. I've been dreaming to do sci-fi since I was 10 years old, and I said 'no' to a lot of sequels. I couldn't say 'no' to Blade Runner 2049 (2017). I love it too much, so I said, 'Alright, I will do it and give everything I have to make it great.'"

Initially, Denis Villeneuve was against the concept of a sequel to Blade Runner (1982), as he felt it could violate the original. But after reading the script, which he and Harrison Ford have described as "one of the best" they have ever read, he committed to the project, stating that Ford was already involved at that point: "To be very honest with you, Harrison was part of the project before I arrived. He was attached to it right from the start with Ridley [Scott]. I met him and he's honestly one of the nicest human beings I've met and is one of my favorite actors of all time, so for me it's a lot of pleasure."

Jared Leto was introduced to Denis Villeneuve by his close friend Jean-Marc Vallée, who had directed Leto in Dallas Buyers Club (2013).

Emily Blunt was considered for a role but she declined due to her pregnancy.

This sequel is set to be released on October 6, 2017, just ten years and one day after the Final Cut version of the first film premiered in Los Angeles.

The sequel which takes place 30 years after Blade Runner (1982) is the story of new Blade Runner Officer K (Ryan Gosling) as he searches Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) whom has disappeared. In Harrison Ford's earlier science fiction film Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) which took place 30 years after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), The film's main protagonists Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) are searching for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) whom disappeared. Harrison Ford played Han Solo in the Star Wars films.